Topic: Your Favourite Purchases & Musical Discoveries of 2020

[Christo]

This was one of not too many discoveries, in 2020. I tried some more Rota afterwards, my favourite Italian composer now after Respighi:

[Maestro267]

I should give Rota a go, really. I know it's a broad comparison to make, but after I utterly fell in love with Korngold's wonderful Symphony in F sharp, I'm interested in hearing the "serious" music of other composers better known for film scores.

[Brian]

I've yet to post a list in this thread, but agree with aukhawk particularly on the Schnyder Beethoven concertos. They have absolutely renewed my interest in those works. Gotta do some A/B testing with Bronfman/Zinman, not sure any other concerto cycle I know comes close. Gotta find more Schnyder Schtuff.

[Mandryka]

Zeynep Gedizlioğlu - Verbinden und Abwenden

Thanks, I knew it existed but had forgotten to listen.

[Christo]

I should give Rota a go, really. I know it's a broad comparison to make, but after I utterly fell in love with Korngold's wonderful Symphony in F sharp, I'm interested in hearing the "serious" music of other composers better known for film scores.

Korngold's symphony is still waiting to be tried by me, will do so now.

[Mandryka]

Here’s a challenging one that shouldn’t be forgotten about - though I forgot about it.

[vmartell]

That is superficial. If the subject is "taste" you can acquire it, can't you?

Sure you can! But you don't have to - specially if you don't want to!

I joke - but this takes us back to the initial idea. Taste. I have nothing I can really support against HIP performances in general - I mean performance analysis aside, just the initial hit of that sound... well.. not to MY taste... so prefer non-HIP even if some of my favourite performances are HIP performances!

v

[vandermolen]

I should give Rota a go, really. I know it's a broad comparison to make, but after I utterly fell in love with Korngold's wonderful Symphony in F sharp, I'm interested in hearing the "serious" music of other composers better known for film scores.

Me too - like Bernard Herrmann's Symphony and 'Moby Dick' and Waxman's 'Song of Terezin'.

[Christo]

Me too - like Bernard Herrmann's Symphony and 'Moby Dick' and Waxman's 'Song of Terezin'.

His four symphonies show that Nino Rota was a symphonic composer first, and a film composer second - not what I at first expected. Will play Bernard Hermann's Symphony again (never tried really hard enough). 

[vandermolen]

His four symphonies show that Nino Rota was a symphonic composer first, and a film composer second - not what I at first expected. Will play Bernard Hermann's Symphony again (never tried really hard enough). 

That Rota CD of symphonies 1 and 2 is on my 'Priority List'. My brother doesn't think much of Herrmann's Symphony but I like it very much (have recordings on Unicorn and Koch - both are good but Unicorn is best IMO).

[Daverz]

That Rota CD of symphonies 1 and 2 is on my 'Priority List'. My brother doesn't think much of Herrmann's Symphony but I like it very much (have recordings on Unicorn and Koch - both are good but Unicorn is best IMO).

The Unicorn seems to be still (or newly) available from Presto:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8151595--herrmann-symphony-the-fantasticks

I've also seen some digital versions streaming on Qobuz that look rather dubious in origin.

[vandermolen]

The Unicorn seems to be still (or newly) available from Presto:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8151595--herrmann-symphony-the-fantasticks

I've also seen some digital versions streaming on Qobuz that look rather dubious in origin.

That's good to know - it's a fine CD. Its original appearance on LP made a big impression on me:

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Vladigerov, Tsintsadze, etc.

Jeffrey, thank you for recommending many albums, especially those of W. Walton works, last year. I enjoyed all of them.

[Mandryka]

Another composer making huge strides forward in my estimation is Clara Iannotta. Earthing, her disc of string quartets as played by the JACK Quartet, shows this very well: the two earlier quartets are fine essays in sonic exploration in the tradition of the likes of Lachenmann and Schnebel, but the title work and the extraordinary You Crawl over Seas of Granite add something new, a cavernous, doom-laden sound that feels like it's taking up where the best of Nono's late electro-acoustic works left off.

Yes. The quiet sounds give the impression of music far away, space, and that is somehow evocative, as if she’s creating vast structures in sound. I much prefer music you can hardly hear to music that’s in your face.